Chromatic interaction systems

ABSTRACT

Electrochromic materials can be used in a multitude of fields to yield different effects. Importantly, a single chromatic variation may be used as communication means. Systems are described that use chromatic variations in culturally-meaningful ways.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/610,277 filed on Mar. 13, 2012, which is incorporated herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure encompasses the fields of interactivity and electrochemistry.

BACKGROUND

Electrochromic materials are defined as those materials that change color by application of an electric stimulus, the field of application being potentially the same as the field of application of paint.

The Internet of Things is a concept wherein physical elements are connected through an artificial network. The most important single concept in a ruled network is the concept of identity (ID), and thus Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) has been regarded as an element of the Internet of Things.

Concurrently, the introduction of version 6 of the Internet Protocol (IPv6) has made available enough IDs for dense addressing over the Internet. Thus, dynamic Internet Protocol (IP) address allocation becomes unnecessary, IP addresses become more transparent, and can function as an identifier on their own, largely sufficient for every person on Earth to have several assigned IP addresses.

Hierarchy of identifiers can create complex structures of action propagation that can resemble programming of organizations, such as to serve or impose a social norm in the human world, and to automatically organize the non-human world.

In this context, identity appears as not only an expression of self within the self, but also as a tag capable of automatically influencing environments to an extent only limited to the preset automatic elements existent in the environment.

SUMMARY

One embodiment provides a chromatic interaction system, comprising: a power means, display means, and wireless communication means, wherein the communication means are operated to influence the display means, and to operate an action concurrently with the display means.

In a further embodiment, the power means are batteries.

In a further embodiment, the power means are wall power.

In a further embodiment, the display means are electrochromic.

In a further embodiment, the wireless communication means are Radio-Frequency Identification.

In a further embodiment, the wireless communication means are Near Field Communication.

Another embodiment provides a display surface comprises a display means capable of displaying at least two alternate different images: placing means capable of holding the display surface on another surface, and power means.

In a further embodiment, a surface wherein the display means are electrochromic.

In a further embodiment, a surface wherein the electrochromic display have a liquid electrolyte.

In a further embodiment, a surface wherein the placing means are selected from the group consisting of pressure sensitive adhesives, magnets, and VELCRO hoop and loop fasteners.

In a further embodiment, a surface wherein the power means are a flat battery.

Another embodiment provides a chromatic interaction system, comprising: power means, electrochromic display means, and wireless communication means, wherein the communication means operate an action concurrently with the display means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Brief Description of the Drawings

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a composite device according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In an abstract model, a person can interact with one or more devices, the devices may be carried on the person or be in a place that the person can achieve proximity to.

In the case that the device is carried on the person, the person can interact with it via a deliberate touch.

In the case that the device is not carried by the person but is in the person's vicinity, the person can interact with it via either:

-   -   touch;     -   capacitive sensing, such as electrostatic induction;     -   radio-frequency communication, such as RFID, Near Field         Communication (NFC), Bluetooth, ZigBee or Wi-Fi.

The device comprises a display screen that is electrochromic, and can change its displayed image, including both the motif of the image and its color.

This can be achieved by:

-   -   fine addressing of small electrochromic cells or clusters of         cells;     -   use of leuco electrochromic dyes, which have at least one         visible and one transparent state, in conjunction with         transparent substrates;     -   electrochromic dyes that have different colors in different         states.

In context of this disclosure, the device may be a simple, self-contained, device, or there may be more than one separate part to it.

Further to the electrochromic display, a simple device will have some sort of power means, capable of providing an electric stimulus powerful enough to change the image of the electrochromic display and to power the non-contact interaction means as described above, when incorporated. Power means can be, for instance, wall power, batteries, and thin batteries.

A more complex device may have different parts that are required for the interaction to occur, such as when employing RFID as communication means. In that scenario, actions might be determined by an RFID tag coming into the field of detection of an RFID reader.

In FIG. 1 a user holds a mobile device 01, which is capable of a first wireless communication 02 to a second device 03. The second device 03 integrates display means 05, wireless communication means 06 and power means 07. The second device can establish a second wireless communication 04 to another device or set of devices.

The processing of actions by devices depends on control electronics, and may range, at the lowest level, from simple simultaneous activation with no alteration capability to, at the highest level, interaction that can be user-defined with a Software Development Kit and the integration of a CISC processor, such as an x86 processor, and memory, such as ROM, EPROM or EEPROM.

Hierarchy in devices makes available the programming of complex effects in devices that can be otherwise indistinctive, the set of applications being open and comprising, for instance, games, proximity dissemination of social rules and warning indicators.

When there is interaction, communication means can be operated to influence display means, and to operate a further action concurrently with the display means.

In a first exemplary embodiment to this disclosure, a display unit is on a wall. A user with a mobile device touches the display, updating a touch counter on the upper left corner of the display.

Concurrently, wireless reception means in the display unit receive an ID from the mobile device of the user, and send the ID through the Internet, coupled with a hashtag parameter of the display unit, to a remote server.

In a second exemplary embodiment to this disclosure, a sticker with the image of a medieval knight is held by a child. The child presses the sticker at a corner labeled “SQUEEZE ME HERE”, and the image of the medieval knight is replace by the image of a dragon.

The child then uses the VELCRO hoop and loop fastener on the back of the sticker to attach it to the strap of her backpack. A friend joins the child and, having had a similar sticker on his backpack strap without an image. As the child's friend comes within 2 feet of the child, communication means in both the stickers cause the second child's sticker to automatically change from the image of an ogre to the image of a griffon.

In a third exemplary embodiment to this disclosure, a sticker or an injection molded item with the image of a heart is carried by a person. When the person interacts with the item there is a graphic change in the display item and the text “Thinking of You” appears.

Consequently to the change in the image, a signal is wirelessly sent over the Internet to a second paired connected device, which upon receiving the signal initiates the same graphical change and shows the text for a defined period of time. Both devices are equally capable of emitting and receiving such signals.

In a fourth exemplary embodiment to this disclosure a maker of shoes gives out wirelessly-communication-enabled key chains together with its basketball shoes that are co-branded with the player celebrity Dr. J. Dr. J has a master button, which he presses every time he puts on his sneakers and goes to practice. The key chains receive a signal and show the text “Dr. J is active—how bout you?”

The disclosed embodiments vie to describe certain aspects of the disclosure in detail.

Other aspects may be apparent to those skilled in the art that, whilst differing from the disclosed embodiments in detail, do not depart from this disclosure in spirit and scope. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A chromatic interaction system, comprising: power means, display means, and wireless communication means, wherein the communication means are operated to influence the display means, and to operate an action concurrently with the display means.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the power means are batteries.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the power means are wall power.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the display means are electrochromic.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication means are Radio-Frequency Identification.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication means are Near Field Communication.
 7. A display surface comprising: display means capable of displaying at least two alternate different images, placing means capable of holding the display surface on another surface, and power means.
 8. A surface according to claim 7, wherein the display means are electrochromic.
 9. A surface according to claim 7, wherein the electrochromic display have a liquid electrolyte.
 10. A surface according to claim 7, wherein the placing means are selected from the group consisting of pressure sensitive adhesives, magnets, and VELCRO hoop and loop fasteners.
 11. A surface according to claim 7, wherein the power means are a flat battery.
 12. A chromatic interaction system, comprising: power means, electrochromic display means, and wireless communication means, wherein the communication means operate an action concurrently with the display means. 